Mistletoe and Fireworks
by Wainwright
Summary: Hermione Granger is back at Hogwarts and moving on from Ron Weasley and now a certain Slytherin has caught her eye. With a festive plan in motion will she get what she wants for Christmas and maybe even a New Year's kiss too? Light-hearted festive two-parter covering Christmas and New Year. Draco x Hermione
1. Mistletoe

_**A/N: Cheery little Dramione two-parter around Christmas and New Year. Happy Holidays!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own even a shred of J.K. Rowling's universe as much as I wish I did.**_

* * *

" _Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." - Norman Vincent Peale_

Hermione Granger was perched at the top of the Head Dorms staircase, a square of parchment in her fingertips. She could hear not a sound aside from the periodic turning of pages as her Slytherin counterpart, the current Head Boy, Draco Malfoy sat reading a book in the common room downstairs. The letter in her hands had been scoured several times and she had resorted to silent contemplation as she mulled over its contents. Molly Weasley had written to her for the first time in three months since she'd returned to Hogwarts to finish her last year. While her best friend Harry Potter had also decided to return, the other part of the Golden Trio had elected to take an offered Ministry position in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Despite being delighted for him, Hermione and Ron had ultimately differing views on where their futures may lie and one such difficult topic was their relationship. After the war they had excitedly agreed to see where things could go but issues began to crop up almost immediately and they were reminded frequently why they argued so much even when friends. The final straw had seen the two of them parting ways as she headed back to her studies and Ron started his new job. Consequently, they hadn't spoken properly since she'd boarded the train and she no longer contacted him, entirely unsure what to say. It appeared it was his mother who would offer the first olive branch as she had written to insist there were no hard feelings amongst the rest of the family and she was more than welcome to join them at the Burrow over the Christmas period as per tradition.

With a huff, she stood, tossed the letter onto her table and descended the stairs. Malfoy glanced up as she took a seat at the other end of the couch but she said nothing as she gazed into the flames of the warming fireplace. Hermione couldn't resist breaking the soothing silence between them, having found the Slytherin to be trustworthy and an excellent listener. She felt at ease speaking with him and he was often very insightful.

"Do you still talk to Rosie Chapman?"

Although completely out of the blue, Draco looked up from his book curiously before nodding. "Yes, sometimes."

Hermione smiled, turning to face him and getting comfortable. "You're still friends with your ex-girlfriend?"

Draco marked his place in the book before resting it in his lap. "I don't mean to be insensitive but you can still be friends after you break up. If you cared about each other or even loved one another, as long as nothing nasty occurred, there shouldn't be a reason not to try. Just because Weezlebee is too stupid to understand that, doesn't mean you should see everything the same." As the witch's frown grew and she opened her mouth to argue, he placed a hand on her arm in a placating fashion before continuing, "That wasn't a criticism of you. What I meant was you shouldn't let him warp your perception because he's too immature. You've been friends for years and you survived a war together."

Hermione calmed, relaxing under his touch. She bit her lip for a moment before deciding to ask his advice. "How do you do it? What do you talk about?"

The Slytherin took a contemplative deep breath, leaning effortlessly back into the couch. "Well, general conversation at first, how things are going, what her classes are like then lead on to a few more personal things. Her mother was sick when we were together so I ask how she's doing and her sister just got married so how that's going and then let it flow. There's no need for things to be awkward so when it has a natural end, just say 'take care' and part ways."

"That's really thoughtful of you." Despite being stunned by his honesty, she managed to raise her voice to form the words.

"The key to any good conversation is to ask the questions you want the answers to. I ask because I care about the response." The brunette witch nodded, observing him closely. After several beats of silence he spoke again more softly. "He's got a big family and a new job, there's plenty to talk about if you're interested." A pink tinge coloured her cheeks as she turned away, acutely aware that he'd figured her out.

A soft knock at the entrance shattered the light tension and Malfoy swiftly rose to see who it could be. Pansy Parkinson crossed the threshold a few seconds later and nodded politely to Hermione which the Gryffindor reciprocated. While neither girl was fond of the other, they had agreed to be civil in each other's company and Draco had in fact discovered that they weren't rude at all about one another when in his presence.

"I was wondering if you were joining us for dinner? Daphne and Blaise are already down there and Theo and Astoria are just finishing prefect duties."

Draco nodded in response, turning a little to glance at the Head Girl. "Coming, Granger?"

"Oh, no, thank you. I've got some things to take care of. A letter to write." Malfoy nodded once again in understanding, following Pansy from the room and leaving Hermione in peace.

The Gryffindor determined the letter to Molly could wait for the time being and instead, she attempted to write a letter to Ron which took far longer than she was willing to admit. In the end she took Draco's advice and kept it polite, short and to the point, asking how things were progressing in his life. Placing the completed work on her table for her to take to the owlery in the morning, she headed to bed for an early night.

* * *

"Granger? What in Merlin's name is this oversized sock hanging from the mantelpiece and more importantly why is there another one with my name on it?"

When he'd risen late the next morning, the Slytherin had been greeted by Hermione's Christmas decorations, the witch in a far better mood. Her jingling giggle came from the stairs behind him and he swivelled to meet her gaze. "It's called a stocking, Draco. I felt the common room needed a bit of festive cheer."

"Festive cheer?" He frowned, turning back to appraise the offending items once more. "Tell me this is all you're doing. I do live here too, you know."

"Honestly, you act like you don't adore Christmas, but I know the truth."

"Hmm." Turning away from the fireplace, Malfoy strolled around the couch to the space beside her and admired the tree that filled the corner. "This is satisfactory. You can stop now."

Hermione flicked her wand and sent a garland floating into the air before securing above the stairs. "You're fooling no one." She spun to face him with a satisfied smirk. "Rosie is in my History of Magic class."

Draco opened his mouth to respond but simply threw his head back and groaned instead. "Let me guess, she told you about Christmas at my house. I knew I couldn't trust that devious little Ravenclaw."

"Oh, please, that's exactly why you fell for her."

The Slytherin grumbled an _"I suppose"_ under his breath before flopping down onto the couch with her joining him a moment later. "Go on then, what's the damage? What did she say?"

Hermione tucked her legs under herself as she faced him with a grin. "Well, you have a _massive_ Christmas tree in the foyer and tinsel and garlands along every wall of the house and you even have one in your room that you kept her present under and another huge tree in the living room with all the other presents and this amazing Christmas dinner cooked by the elves and-."

"Okay! Breathe Hermione! Stop gushing." He leant his head back as he gazed at her with an amused half-smile. She merely chuckled in return, nudging him.

"Rosie said you were really sweet and thoughtful with your gift. She had a good time with you."

He hummed lightly. "You should have high hopes for your present then, eh Princess?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at his nickname but the corners of her mouth twitched upward. "You've got me a present?"

A frown grew as he studied her. "You didn't expect me to?" She shook her head lightly, her chestnut curls swaying gently. "Ever so slightly offended, Granger. I'm not a total ass. I imagined with your enjoyment of gift giving you'd feel the need to procure me something and I saw it as only fitting to reciprocate." An abrupt knocking at the portrait entrance had him standing in seconds and pulling it open to reveal a warmly dressed Blaise Zabini.

"Afternoon, Granger." He addressed her cheerfully as Draco collected his scarf and swung it round his neck before pulling on his fleece coat. Hermione greeted him in kind, having become friendly with the Italian since herself and Malfoy had become head students.

"Right, we're off, as usual he's left his shopping until the last minute and hasn't a clue what to buy Pansy." Draco looked at his housemate pointedly but he merely earned a smirk in response.

"The blue satin dress at Pennyworth's in Hogsmeade."

Draco paused at Hermione's statement, his hat halfway on his head. "As surprised as I am that you know that…" Resuming his actions, he then perched beside her again. "I already bought it for her. Any other ideas?"

A smile came to her face, pleased by his perceptiveness, before she explained. "I overheard her excitedly telling Astoria the other day. But if that's not an option, she wears that Rose Blossom & White Tea perfume from that place on the corner." There was silence for a moment before the two Slytherins broke out into identical grins.

"You. Are. Amazing. We've been trying to figure that out since third year. Is it a girl thing? That you just know these kinds of things?" Blaise asked excitedly, unaware of Draco suddenly frowning up at him.

Hermione glared at him sceptically. "Ginny likes the same one."

Nodding like it was obvious; Draco stood and headed for the exit with Zabini in tow, waving on his way out. "Thanks, Granger, have fun with Wonder Boy."

Hermione shook her head at the retreating figures, standing and ascending the stairs to grab a warmer jumper before Harry arrived. While Draco hadn't asked about her writing endeavours, she had found he never attempted to pry into her life and she was rather pleased once again that he'd respected her privacy. She contemplated mentioning it to him but instead concluded to simply take his advice and leave things to their own accord.

* * *

"So you like Draco Malfoy? Is that what you're telling me, Hermione?"

Bright green eyes stared at her over the rim of his butterbeer glass as her mouth dropped open. "I have said no such thing. You're jumping to all sorts of conclusions here, Potter."

"Right, of course. Except the evidence is overwhelming. You've mentioned _twice_ that he looks great in his quidditch uniform, you know full well he loves Christmas festivities as much as you, he gave you some pretty solid advice on relationships and he's ever so thoughtful. Did I miss anything?"

Her shoulders slumped as he laughed heartily, knowing he'd cornered her. "Am I an idiot, Harry?"

Becoming more serious, he patted her hand sympathetically. "Look, he and I buried the hatchet long ago. While I doubt we'll be going on holiday and sharing mojitos together, he seems like an alright bloke. From what I remember of his and Rosie's relationship, he was a perfect gentleman. You could do a hell of a lot worse. That being said, I'm not a mind reader 'Mione, I don't know him well enough to tell if he has any sort of feelings for you."

Hermione leant her chin on her hand, sighing heavily and processing his words. "What about Christmas then? Do you think I should go to the Burrow?"

"I can't really answer that for you either." He shrugged sadly, draining some of his beverage. "Only you know how you'll feel. Ginny and I will be there of course but neither of us will hold it against you if you don't make an appearance. Word of advice though, if you do start seeing Malfoy, that will not go down well. You're quite aware of what Ron's like and their families have been at odds for years." Nodding along in agreement, the brunette witch knew all too well that her best friend was right. "Do what your heart tells you. Even if it's a Slytherin." The Boy Who Lived nudged her playfully as a smile graced her face. Gathering their coats, the two departed for the castle, Hermione extremely glad she'd had time to talk things out with her almost brother.

* * *

Mistletoe now occupied the entrance to the stairs within the dorm in a feeble attempt by Hermione to get a more up-close and personal experience with Draco Malfoy. The Gryffindor had taken her friends advice after a fashion and devised a plan in the hopes of better determining if the blond wizard actually felt anything towards her. Ever since they began sharing the Head dorms, any previous altercations had been swiftly dealt with, apologised for and forgotten about. They had grown relatively close in a short space of time and Hermione had admitted to herself not long ago that she did feel a small _something_ for the Slytherin but wasn't willing to investigate how much or what exactly. Blaise had once told her that Draco could charm any woman he wanted and this had immediately suggested to her that the Head Boy was in no way directing his advances toward her. Firm in her decision to take things into her own hands, Hermione proceeded to wait for the opportunity to present itself and finally uncover the truth.

She concluded after three days of no success that he wasn't, in reality, avoiding the mistletoe and her secret trap but that it was merely coincidental. With classes over, they no longer had similar schedules and with people leaving for the holidays there were no prefect meetings for them to attend together. Additionally, they were spending time with their individual friend groups, ate together only occasionally and headed up to their rooms in the evenings separately.

After another couple of days, the Gryffindor had completely forgotten, resigned to her plan failing and being so caught up in packing for Christmas holidays. After no response whatsoever from Ron, Hermione had concluded that he simply didn't want to have any sort of friendship in the future and she'd written to Molly the previous day to inform her that she would be spending all of Christmas with her parents. It was two days before Christmas Eve and the head students were to be heading for their respective homes the following day when luck finally struck.

Hermione was headed down the staircase on her way to the Great Hall to meet Ginny for the final time before the two girls parted ways over the festive period. No longer comfortable attending Boxing Day celebrations at the Burrow, she wouldn't be seeing her friend until they returned in the New Year. Draco, on the other hand, had recently finished up a friendly game of quidditch with his housemates and was on his way up to his room to change before lunch with Daphne and Blaise. Wrapped up in their own thoughts, unaware of the presence of the other, the two head students nearly collided at the bottom of the stairwell.

Hermione started in shock as Draco blurted " _Merlin_ " in surprise, causing her to smile and retort sarcastically as her pulse slowed. "No, just little old me, I'm afraid."

The Slytherin rolled his eyes before his expression broke out into something between a grin and smirk. "Well, well, well. Looks like you've finally caught me, Granger."

Hermione followed the flick of steely grey eyes upward and spotted the mistletoe, she herself placed. Distinctly aware she was stood a step up at the perfect height, their eyes level; a bright blush crept up her face and neck as she tried to casually shrug it off. "It's an old tradition, I mean you probably don't want to…I get it."

His smile turned more genuine as he happily stated, "I'm never one to shirk a Christmas tradition." And without another moment's hesitation, he kissed her with more passion than she could ever have imagined.

Unable to resist, her hands gripped the front of his quidditch uniform, tugging him closer. Easily grasping the hint, his hand delved into her curls and the other to her waist, definitively closing the remaining distance between them.

While Hermione had been vying for a potential snog from the handsome Slytherin, she certainly hadn't expected a nearly full blown make out session with the Head Boy. Having completely forgotten her plan, the Head Girl wasn't in the slightest prepared but she deduced that even if she had been ready, she wouldn't have expected that reaction. When they finally parted, Hermione bit down on her kiss-swollen lip and she immediately noted his eyes darken before he cleared his throat and chuckled, forcing a blush back on to her face.

"I thought we might never get the chance."

"You figured it out, didn't you?" She asked, her voice quieter than she'd intended.

"You put all the decorations up the same morning, except this mistletoe. That, strangely enough, made an appearance after you had that afternoon with Potter. Since I'm aware you don't see him in that way and you and I are the only ones to use this staircase, it wasn't such a leap."

Mortified she'd been deciphered so quickly, Hermione hid her reddened face behind her hands. Pulling them away into his own, Draco placed a soft kiss on her cheek and smiled when her warm brown eyes met his gaze. "I've got something to ask you, Granger." A chuckle escaped him as she groaned, wanting to disappear, terrified of what he'd say. "Christmas is a time for family, but we always have a big New Year's party at the manor. I'd love it if you'd be my date."

The Gryffindor witch's mouth popped open in surprise, completely floored when she was sure that he was being genuine. "I'd be delighted."

"Excellent." He beamed, kissing the back of her hand which she was reminded he still had a hold of. "Now, unless you want a repeat performance, which I wouldn't object to in the slightest, I noticed Red waiting at the end of the corridor, presumably for you."

Hermione gasped, "Ginny!" She gratefully smiled at him as he stepped aside to let her pass but before she moved she had to ask. "See you later?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

 _ **A/N: I'll be posting part 2 next week. Look forward to gift giving, Christmas fun, Ron-related drama and of course, that New Year's date!**_


	2. Fireworks

_**A/N: Happy New Year! This is a little later than I intended but I got caught up in the festivities and I also wanted to do this part justice. On with the show.**_

* * *

Hermione stared intently at the present with curiosity, feeling the keen gaze of silver eyes on her hunched over form. "I really can't open it?"

His chuckle caused her to tear her attention from the emerald and ruby wrapping paper and instead toward him. "I can't believe you _want_ to open it. What happened to 'waiting for the day'?"

"But I want to know what it is, obviously."

"More than anyone else's? I'm flattered, Granger."

"I suppose I just have high hopes." She leant back into the couch and against his side. While she was certainly unaccustomed to being in such close proximity to him, it was an action that felt natural and relaxing. "Are you curious as to my gift for you?"

"I'm sure it'll be well thought out and most accurately me. Besides, there are only a couple of days to wait." Hermione nodded in agreement, falling silent for several moments. "Are you excited to see your parents?"

"Absolutely. All that time in Australia, I really missed them. I'm just glad they remembered all the Christmas traditions, it wouldn't be the same without them." She smiled fondly, reminiscing.

"Tell me about them."

Although surprised, she grinned up at him, getting more comfortable as his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Pleased by his interest, the Gryffindor happily recalled for much of the evening Christmases gone by and tit-bits about her parents for him. She found it satisfying teaching him about certain muggle items and traditions, feeling like she was putting some of the pure-blood prejudices to shame.

* * *

After the two students enjoyed a quiet breakfast in the head dorms, they hastily finished packing their last minute items and dressed warmly for the chilled weather out with the castle. Snow had fallen once again and now at ankle height it would have been tedious having to trudge through it should Hagrid not have helpfully cleared the pathways. With both Hermione and Draco qualified to apparate, the duo set off together toward the designated point within Hogsmeade, making polite conversation along the way. Hermione was anxious to see her parents with the journey passing quickly and before she knew it, they were met by a small crowd of people who were similarly travelling home.

"Ah, there you two are!" The head students watched as Blaise emerged from the crowd, hauling his trunk behind him, nearly knocking over two girls. "I thought I was late but as it appears, it was you two having a romantic rendezvous." Draco punched his friend in the arm and scowled heavily which only elicited a laugh from the Italian.

" _Anyway."_ He proclaimed loudly, swivelling back to focus on the Gryffindor. "I'll see you at the Manor at New Year then. I'll send you a proper invitation when I get home."

"You're coming to the party, Granger?"

Hermione smiled at the taller Slytherin although slightly apprehensively. "Yes. Draco asked me to be his date." The smug look Blaise gave his counterpart made her expression brighten especially when Malfoy evaded the other man's gaze. "I'll see the both of you there then." Checking her watch, she bit her lip, not wishing to be late meeting up with her parents. Hurriedly she gathered her things and wielding her wand she kissed Draco's cheek. "Merry Christmas, boys." The two Slytherins waved to her as she headed for the spot and disapparated with a crack, focussing on her destination.

* * *

Hermione spent the morning at home catching up on all the latest news with her family and sharing her school progress but in the afternoon she and her mother Helen ventured into the closest city for some last minute shopping. Using the party as an excuse, the two women had an enjoyable time dress shopping and talking about the upcoming event.

When the two women returned home after a successful afternoon and showed Mr Granger all their purchases, Hermione wasn't at all surprised to see the party invitation as promised by Draco.

 _Miss Hermione Granger,_

 _You are cordially invited to_

 _ **Malfoy Manor**_

 _On the_

 _ **31**_ _ **st**_ _ **of December from 8pm**_

 _For a New Year's Celebration_

 _Hosted by Narcissa Malfoy_

The Gryffindor tacked up the invitation to her mirror and sat down on the edge of her bed, admiring the dress she'd purchased for the event. She had a feeling her nerves would spike as time ticked closer but she kept telling herself that it was what she wanted. Hermione was, in truth, looking forward to attending underneath the anxiety and she was certainly willing to investigate where things may lead with her date.

* * *

"There's one present left, Hermione, looks like it's from…Draco? As in Draco Malfoy?" Steven Granger looked expectantly at his daughter as she perched on the living room sofa.

"He's the Head Boy, dad. We exchanged gifts. Things are good between us, I swear." His look was sceptical but he handed her the package regardless.

Finally able to open the much anticipated present, she tore into the paper and was thrilled when she uncovered the collective works of a wizarding author she'd alluded to sporadically. While over the years the other two thirds of the Golden Trio had picked books they thought she'd like, the keen and cunning Slytherin had listened out for some of her favourites which she'd also mentioned she did not have in her extensive collection.

A tapping at the living room window, caught her attention and she immediately recognised Pigwidgeon sitting on the windowsill waiting patiently with a letter. Knowing the little owl still resided with the Weasleys, she was hopeful it was finally a reply from Ron and swiftly tore open the letter when he gave it up to her.

"It's Ron; he's been away on a work trip. He wants to meet up on the 28th."

The two Dr Grangers shared a look before Hermione's father offered to make some tea and disappeared into the kitchen. Helen approached her daughter's side, lightly petting Pig who had remained for a response. "Are you sure about this Hermione? After how things ended and not speaking for several months, I hope you don't feel like you owe him something."

"We were friends for years and despite what they say, I know Harry and Ginny feel torn between the two of us. I just want to ease any tension, eliminate the need to take sides. It's only coffee mum, trust me, I've put my hope in someone else." The older woman gave the younger a one-armed hug before retreating to assist her husband in the kitchen. Hermione quickly scrawled a positive reply and handed it back to the small owl who hooted happily before darting off to fulfil his purpose. With a deep sigh, she resorted to enjoying the rest of her Christmas with her parents, dealing with the rest when she was inevitably faced to.

* * *

Naturally Hermione arrived early at their designated meeting spot at the prearranged time, a small café in Diagon Alley they'd frequented over the holidays with Harry. She'd taken up a small table in the corner and ordered a hot chocolate for herself as she kept an eye out for her companion. Her heart felt like it was going to tear out of her chest as it kept up a high pace while she chewed her lip nervously. This was the first time they had seen each other since they officially called things off and Hermione had no idea how Ron would act. Her nerves were nearly frayed and the regret immediately set in when she saw him stroll through the door of the café, alerted by the jingle of the bell. He made a beeline for the table when he spotted her and she could already tell he was in a terrible mood.

"Hermione." It was almost emotionless, the kind of tone he used when he was planning on reading her the riot act. One she was all too familiar with.

"Ron." Clearing her throat, she tried again louder. "Hi. Please sit down." She gestured to the empty seat across from her. He slumped into the pre-offered space, not bothering to remove his jacket. "Is everything alright?"

"You know, I was actually quite excited to find you'd written to me. I figured you'd want to be friends again or maybe even something else. Thought you'd seen the light, realised you were a bitch and wanted to apologise."

"That I was a…? You're joking. I thought it was amicable. We agreed it was for the best for both of us."

"That was what you said it was. In reality, you couldn't be bothered with the effort. I just wasn't good enough for you, was I? You always thought you were superior."

Her blood boiling at his invalidated insults and non-existent civility, Hermione took a deep breath as she composed herself. "What's brought this on? It was your idea to come here. Was this an excuse just to get the last word in?"

"No." He leaned across the table, encroaching on her personal space. "Originally, I wanted to see if you'd be big enough to apologise, to try things out again. Hopefully stop putting Harry in the middle so we can all get along as if we were best friends again. Then I find out just a little too late that you've moved on like it was nothing. You didn't care about me, did you? Or was it the attention? Did he show a little bit of affection and you dropped to your knees for him?"

"Stop it!" She glanced around at the people on neighbouring tables who had turned at her outburst and lowered her voice. "How dare you? I wrote to you in good faith and this is how you repay me?"

"And you repay me by hooking up with a Malfoy?"

"It's not like that. We're not 'hooking up'."

"What would you call it then? I'm fully aware of the truth. I overheard Harry and Ginny talking about your date. You two have wanted each other from the first moment you entered the Head dorms. Do you like the danger or something? Or are you going to ignore the possibility of him murdering you in your sleep?"

"He never killed anyone. You don't know a thing about him."

"He's the scum of the earth, a pureblood supremacist, a death eater until the very end. It's in his blood. And believe me; he sure as hell hates your blood. I don't know if you're stupid or gullible, Hermione."

The witch abruptly stood, her seat scraping along the wooden floor as she wrenched her coat from the back of her chair. "I don't have to put up with this. Draco is so different from what you remember but you're so blinded by your irrational inferiority complex. You were enough for me but he at least thinks I'm good enough for him. You weren't prepared to fight for what you wanted; I won't make that mistake again."

"You're ignoring the inevitable. This will come back to bite you and you won't have a single friend to rely on when you finally come crawling, looking for sympathy." Slowly rising and stepping toward her, he caused her to lean back out of his reach. "You're no longer welcome among my family if you're going to be a traitor."

It took a moment before her expression hardened and she retorted through gritted teeth. "Not everyone is as petty as you, Ronald." Barging past him, she exited the café and headed for a disapparation point to return home.

* * *

Hermione donned the midnight blue satin dress that she'd purchased just before Christmas which elegantly draped to her knees and hung off her shoulders, pairing it with comfortable black heels, light make-up and a Sapphire birthstone necklace she'd received from Harry a few months before.

"Oh Hermione, dear, you look lovely."

"Thanks, mum." The young witch turned from the mirror and hugged her mother. "I just hope…" She trailed off returning to take in her reflection once more and Helen smiled knowingly.

"Hoping that a certain someone likes it?"

"Am I that transparent?"

"I'm sure he'll be quite in awe. If he's not…well then I doubt he's smart enough to see what he's missing out on and isn't worth the trouble."

Wordlessly, the youngest Granger fiddled with the hem of her dress. Ron's words had played over in her mind ever since the meeting and despite venting extensively to her mother when she'd arrived home; she just couldn't seem to shake his vicious voice in the back of her head.

"Have faith in your friends, 'Mione, and in Draco. Ron is nothing but a sad jealous little boy who's finally starting to understand that he's not at the centre of the world. If you believe Draco Malfoy has good in him, then hold on to it and show everyone what you can see."

After a few deep breaths and a repeated mantra that saw the red-head's insults pushed from her mind, the young witch faced her mother with a smile. One that was genuine and unwavering. "I'm ready." Helen handed her the jacket and purse Hermione had chosen earlier and accompanied her daughter down the stairs to the front door.

"Quick picture, Hermione!" The girl in question groaned as her father came bounding into the hallway, camera in hand. "You look great, darling, why not have the memory?" Saving herself the trouble of starting an argument she'd never win, she posed politely as her father snapped away before declaring she best be off.

"Have a wonderful time, sweetheart." Hermione hugged both of her parents in turn before pulling on her coat and stepping out into the bracing night air, wand brandished. Focussing on her destination of Malfoy Manor, with slight apprehension, she disappeared with a snap.

* * *

The great black iron gates that stood before the aging home stood wide open as a trail of soft glowing lights illuminated the way up to the ornate dark wooden doorway. She was almost assaulted by the memory as she remembered very clearly her arrival at the manor during the war but it appeared far more inviting now as she finally heard the first murmurings of guests within. Fiddling with her wand for a few moments, Hermione inhaled deeply, the smell of fresh roses greeting her senses and calming her nerves. Relying on her Gryffindor courage, she stowed her wand within her purse and set off purposefully for the entrance. As she reached the top step, the door swung wide to reveal a small elf that bowed low while she crossed the threshold.

"Good evening, Miss Granger. Can I take your jacket?"

"Oh, yes, thank you." With a snap of his fingers, the garment appeared in his arms and Hermione took the time to look him over. Having never been able to shake her attachment to S.P.E.W. she was always on edge when dealing with elves. However, he was dressed rather smart and cleanly and was even sporting a bowtie for the evening.

"You're here." Hermione spun round to the large staircase at the sound of a familiar voice and spotted Draco halfway down the steps. A wide smile immediately broke out on her face but a light dusting of a blush also joined it. "You look absolutely marvellous." He noted, taking the bottom few steps and crossing to her side, getting a better look up close and grinning widely as he kissed her cheek.

The Gryffindor took in his dapper appearance, including his smart and traditional dress robes alongside his immaculately polished shoes and expertly styled hair. "After the Yule Ball, I thought I knew what to expect but you look rather more handsome, I must say."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Granger." He offered his arm to her which she gratefully accepted. "Thanks, Benley. Keep an eye out for Blaise; he should be here soon with Daphne." Hermione glanced down at the elf he'd addressed which still remained at her side as he nodded politely in response to the Malfoy heir.

"Of course, Mr Malfoy. Do enjoy yourselves." Without another word, he disappeared with a pop.

"Are you ready?" Refocussing her attention on her date, Hermione's smile faltered minutely.

"We're not…I mean…it's not in that room, is it?"

Draco frowned at her questioningly before comprehending what she meant and shook his head firmly. "The party is in the ballroom at the back of the house. Mother's having the drawing room remodelled; it's torn apart right now." He patted her hand comfortingly and tried to clear the lump from his throat. "Granger, about that-"

"Draco, don't. We've covered this. I just had to ask. Let's get going, okay? You promised grandeur and I'm excited to see if it lives up to the hype."

Taking a deep breath, he smiled once more and led her along a hallway toward the sound of music. Hermione was most definitely not disappointed; Narcissa had indeed gone all out. There were huge dazzling chandeliers hung from the ceiling, silver and gold decorations covering each wall, a large bar against one side and festively decorated tables taking up half of the floor space, leaving sufficient area for a dancefloor that a few people were currently mingling on. Draco swiped two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, handing her one.

"Does your family have this on tap?"

Draco snorted but his slight smirk suggested she might be right. "So what do you think?"

"Your mother sure knows how to throw a party, I'll give her that much."

"You haven't seen the half of it. Just wait until midnight." Hermione's jubilant smile shone through as she leaned against him comfortably, his arm around her waist.

"Kingsley?" She asked in shock, spotting the Minister at the edge of the throng of guests.

"Hermione! What a lovely surprise." He offered, beckoning her over.

Draco accompanied her to his side before scanning the crowd. "I'm just going to check on Mother. You'll be alright?" Hermione nodded happily, excited to catch up with her old friend and immediately grinned when he pecked her cheek before departing after a polite nod to the older man.

"What brings you here then, Kingsley?"

"Narcissa invited me, as Minister for Magic I'm somewhat obligated to attend events that benefit the Ministry or in some way repay the efforts of benefactors. Although, if I'm honest, I do love a good New Year's party." He revealed, popping a canape into his mouth that he'd snaffled off a passing tray.

"Narcissa is a benefactor?"

"Of course. When was the last time you bought a wizarding paper, Hermione?"

"I neither condone nor subscribe to the Daily Prophet's rubbish."

A hearty laugh left him, "You best be careful, Miss Granger, the Ministry now owns the Prophet. After the war we wanted controlled reports of progress and to put a stop to rumour and persecution. It's much more accurate and far less judgemental. That being said, there has been news a plenty of Lady Malfoy's humanitarian efforts. She's aided the Ministry, donated to St. Mungo's for an expansion and even set up an orphanage for children orphaned by the war."

Hermione's mouth dropped open, staring incredulously at the wise older man. "Narcissa Malfoy did all those things?" Kingsley's head tilted slightly, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"You're Draco's date, aren't you?" At her confirming nod, he continued with a tight frown. "If you agreed to that, surely you know they're better people? They've made a real effort to improve not only themselves, but serious circumstances around them."

"I know Draco's different, but I had no idea Narcissa was too. Granted I didn't know her very well before the war but with what went on here and being married to Lucius, I… well, I suppose I presumed she was the same."

"She's more like Andromeda than Bellatrix, believe that."

Regretful, Hermione glanced over in the direction Draco had left, watching as Narcissa patted his cheek with an affectionate smile. In truth, she had been anxious about interacting with the pureblood witch, fearful the prejudices were still present. Lucius was serving a life sentence in Azkaban and she had noticed many times that Draco either refused to talk about his father or skirted the subject entirely. Being as private a person as she knew him to be, Hermione never pressed the topic and considering it now, she realised she knew very little about the situation. She didn't even know if he visited his father. A moment later, Kingsley drew her back into conversation about her studies and she in turn enquired about his progress with the Ministry, sufficiently distracting her until Draco's return.

"How's she coping?"

"You have no idea, Granger; this is where my mother thrives. Socialising is in her blood, I swear. Shame Potter is missing out on the festivities though. I do like having something to brag about that he can't dispute."

"You mean, Harry was invited?" She questioned, her best friend having not mentioned it to her.

"Yes, a short while back. Apologised and said he was taking Ginny to some traditional muggle street party in London."

"There's still time to make a break for it and join them if Draco's being an over bearing or absent date." Daphne's voice interrupted as she appeared at the Gryffindor's side, smirking deviously at her friend.

"At least I have a date. Did you lose or ditch Blaise on the way here?" Malfoy retorted smartly, spotting she was alone. The Slytherin witch merely sniggered, flicking her chestnut hair off her shoulder.

"He's chaperoning his mother at this exact moment. Turns out she doesn't have her claws in any rich men yet so her darling son is accompanying her." Draco rolled his eyes but she simply snorted and whispered to Hermione. "He likes to pretend he's not a total mummy's boy too, but really he's all heart." The two witches shared a quiet laugh as he drained the remainder of his glass, feeling outnumbered and potentially outsmarted.

Hermione's eye was caught by the entrance of Blaise Zabini with a remarkably attractive older woman on his arm who, from the similarities in appearance, could be none other than his mother. The Slytherins and even Draco himself had remarked to the Gryffindor on several occasions about the outstanding gene pool of the Zabinis, but to witness it in person was shocking. The young Malfoy immediately moved to greet the new guests and she was surprised to witness Ms Zabini seemed genuinely happy to see him and greeted him as if he were her own son.

"Ciao e come sei questa sera?" Draco asked, hugging his friend's mother with a smile.

"Entusiasta di essere qui. Ho perso te e tua madre." She replied with a strong accent and returning the gesture.

Having studied French, Hermione was at a complete loss and was even more blown away by her date's fluency in Italian.

"She's excited to be here and misses him and Narcissa."

The brunette's head swivelled to the witch beside her in awe. "Does everyone in Slytherin speak the language or are the two of you just trying to impress me, because it's working."

A light laugh left Daphne as she shook her head. "The only reason I learned originally was to flirt with Blaise. It worked, don't you know." She winked suggestively causing Hermione to roll her eyes. "Draco on the other hand, the two of them have been friends since they were young, he grew up learning it. He has full on conversations and everything, it's rather impressive, I must say. Our boys used to go travelling every summer and stop off at Blaise's second home."

"Daphne, my dear, it's good to see you."

"And you Ms. Zabini. This is our friend Hermione. She's also Draco's date for the evening."

"Oh, really." The older woman beamed, shaking the Gryffindor's hand. "Pleasure to meet you. Be sure to take good care of our little Slytherin prince, hmm?"

Caught off guard, Hermione giggled, nodding her head. "I intend to."

"Meraviglioso! I'll see you all at the countdown then, I'm off to see my dear Narcissa." With that, she strolled off into the crowd, several men following her with their gaze.

"She's a little eccentric." The oldest Greengrass whispered and Hermione laughed, agreeing with her. "Come on, handsome, first round is on you." Linking her arm with Blaise, the two set off for the bar as Draco returned to Hermione's side, sliding an arm around her waist.

"Come on, there's a few people I think you'll be interested in meeting."

* * *

As promised, she had been interested and in some cases thrilled on meeting certain members of the party. It appeared the Malfoy Company had dealings with a vast number of other establishments and even high level Ministry employees. To Hermione's astonishment, several department heads had excitedly offered her positions once she'd finished Hogwarts and she'd been grinning from ear to ear for over an hour, as well as enthusiastically squeezing Draco's hand. Nearing midnight, Narcissa made an announcement and the guests moved to the extensive patio that had been pleasantly heated with a warming charm. The couple joined their friends outside and were joined by Ms Zabini and shortly after, Narcissa.

"I'd like to thank all of you for coming. The new year beckons and I hope the progress we've made over the last few months continues to bring people together and rebuild broken bonds far into the future. Our gathering here today is a testament that while there are those who seek to divide us, it doesn't matter what our family name is or what blood flows in our veins, we are and will continue to be united. I wish you all the best in the coming year. Let's start the countdown!"

As the crowd started the countdown, Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione and she smiled up at him sweetly. He leant down and whispered in her ear, "I'm so glad you're here with me."

"…3…"

"…2…"

"…1…"

"Happy New Year!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, the sound of fireworks permeated the air but she couldn't draw her eyes away from his until they fluttered shut as he pressed his lips to hers. After a few moments there was a whistle from next to them and Draco pulled away with a chuckle. "Can I help you, Zabini?"

"You two lovebirds are missing the show! There's plenty of time for that later." Hermione grinned, hugging Draco to her as they both cast their gaze upwards and enjoyed the elaborate and impressive firework display.

The show finally ended with a magnificent finale of vibrant colours and complicated designs, including an ornate Malfoy crest in dazzling silver. Narcissa took a polite bow before the guests began to filter back inside, the music picking up again and people heading for the dancefloor.

"Let's take a moment to enjoy the peace before we head back into the mayhem." Draco suggested, leading his date further out to overlook the gardens.

"The grounds really are stunning; perhaps I can have a tour one day."

"There's going to be a second date? I like your optimism, Granger."

Hermione tittered, nudging him playfully in the side. "You seemed pretty interested earlier."

Taking on a more serious note, he faced her fully, the last of the party attendees disappearing back inside. "You know, I've been meaning to thank you. For a few things actually."

"Oh?" Hermione turned to give him her full attention, curious.

"Well, thank you for coming and being my date. I think that's a given. Although, I knew you'd have a good time. Secondly, I really, _really_ appreciate my Christmas present." The smile he gave her almost split his face and she chuckled at him with a light blush. "How did you manage to procure such brilliant quidditch tickets?"

"Harry. Saving the world earns you a few perks. He was happy to help actually. You'll probably even see him there."

"I'll be sure to thank him also when I see him. Lastly, I realised I'd never thanked you for giving me a chance. When I was given the position of Head Boy, I could tell you were dreading it and I asked you to give me the benefit of the doubt. You did and I'm grateful. Even after all the apologies, I still don't feel like I've done enough to repay you for your faith in me."

"I merely gave you the opportunity to show everyone what I already knew. There is plenty of good in you, Draco." He took her hands into his own as she bit her lip. Despite what she believed, she knew others still viewed him the way Ron did and she could hear his voice in her mind once again.

"I will promise you one thing though. I will give my very best to whatever this is between us. You deserve it and I will prove it to you." Cheeks tinged pink, she glanced down shyly.

The clearing of a throat made their heads jerk up simultaneously and the figure of the Lady Malfoy became visible.

"Mother."

"Sorry to interrupt." She started with a smile, approaching them. "I wanted to wish you both a Happy New Year and to see Hermione for myself."

"Mrs Malfoy?" As much as she tried not to, Hermione kept a tight grip on Draco's hand.

"I'm glad you came. It means a good deal to me and certainly to my son, that you're here. It's a new year so what would you say to a fresh start?"

Hermione could tell from her awkward demeanour that she too had been nervous about them finally seeing each other again and the young witch immediately broke into a grateful smile. "I'd really like that, Mrs Malfoy."

Her body visibly relaxed and her expression became less strained. "Wonderful. Then, please, call me Narcissa. I certainly hope we'll be seeing more of you around here." Kissing her son on the cheek, the older witch stepped back. "Do enjoy the rest of your night, you two." With reciprocated nods, she disappeared back into the throng of people within the manor and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

"See? Nothing to worry about." Her date joked, pulling her with him toward the French doors that led back to the party as she snorted amusedly. "Now we have several hours of partying to do and I need to make sure my best friend doesn't drink the bar dry."

"More introductions and socialising?" Hiding a smile, she questioned him.

"No, just me and you and maybe that dancefloor." As she opened her mouth to disagree, he halted any response with a firm but sweet kiss. "You and I are dancing together and I won't stand for anything else."

As he turned, Hermione pulled him back to her for a more passionate kiss. "Here's to a year of surprises." Draco's expression brightened, giving her another quick peck before they stepped over the threshold to enjoy the rest of the celebrations.

* * *

 _ **A/N: And there you have it. I hoped you enjoyed it, I certainly did. I hope you all have a great year!**_


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